Occupational therapy is a discipline which focuses on function as well as quality of life. Occupational Therapy Assistants provide service to individuals with physical, mental, or developmental disabilities across life phases, who need to rehabilitate skills to perform self-care, work and/or leisure activities. The major requires general education courses, including biological, social, and behavioral sciences, in addition to occupational therapy courses. The program utilizes classroom instruction and field work experiences to prepare the student to meet certification and employment standards.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Santa Ana College provides a strong foundation in the skills and knowledge necessary for entry level occupational therapy assistant competencies. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association(AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will qualify to sit for the national certification examination administered by the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), 12 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, phone number (301) 990-7979. Students who have completed all requirements will also need to apply for a license to practice in the State of California through the Board of Occupational Therapy (BOT), 2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 2250, Sacramento, CA 95815, phone number (916) 263-2294.